Cats are very interesting animals and you will love yours right away if you decide to adopt one. If you wish to own one, you must learn as much as you can. The following article will help you learn the answers to the most important questions new cat owners have.
Properly groom your cat. Cats have to be brushed or combed on a regular basis. This leads to a cleaner cat. It will reduce shedding, which means that they won’t be experiencing a ton of hairballs. Cat grooming will not only keep kitty looking great, but it will also help to reduce the effort spent picking up cat hair around the home.
Make frequent checkups with your vet to keep your cat healthy. Your vet can give you an idea of your cat’s overall health, in addition to administering any shots it may need. If you can, stick with one vet for your cat’s entire life. This ensures that your vet knows your cat’s medical history.
Keeping cats from a counter really can be tough. Cats like to be up high, where they can watch everything going on. Give them an alternative. The use of a cat tower within your kitchen or close by can help make the cats stay off the counter.
Litter Box
The litter box for your cat needs to be positioned in the right place. A cat’s litter box should be in a quiet spot in the house, away from where your cat eats. It is also advisable to keep the litter box area ventilated to control odor. Your cat will certainly appreciate your efforts, and you will too!
Male cats often develop crystals in their bladder that come out in their urine. This can be prevented with a proper diet. These crystals can cause your cat pain to pass, and your vet bill can be expensive. Food with a low magnesium content will help. Be sure that you read the label. Products that contain fish are normally much higher in magnesium over ones containing poultry.
Make sure your kids know the rules before kitty comes home. Make sure that you let your kids know which areas of the house the cat will be allowed in. Be sure that your children understand that an indoor cat must never be allowed outdoors. Setting rules in advances ensures understanding.
Pay Attention
Pay attention and try to figure out what is causing your cat to meow. By paying attention, you should eventually learn why your cat is meowing. A meow could signal anything from hunger to a desire for affection. Pay attention to her cues, and you can understand your cat that much more.
Don’t think that you can teach a cat to use its litter box. This comes naturally – you can’t teach it. Many people believe that taking your cat to the box and rubbing their paws in the litter is a good idea, but it may actually traumatize them.
Regularly brush your cat’s hair. This helps spread out the cat’s natural oils in their fur and stimulates blood flow in the skin. As an added bonus, it cuts down on loose fur. This is a good way to avoid hairballs, which are a serious health problem since they can cause choking.
To avoid having a picky cat, switch up the kinds of foods you give him. Keeping the same kind of food around most of the time makes it to where they only want that specific food.
High quality cat food is important to your cat. Pay attention to the ingredient list on any food you feed them. Protein needs to be one of the very first items on the list, while fillers like corn and other grains should be avoided. Try avoiding foods that have non-protein elements like corn. Cats are carnivores so it is important for them to get enough animal protein in their diet.
Anytime you get a new pet, you must introduce them to your cat slowly to help to avoid problems and let the cat get used to it. Keep them separated for at least two weeks, but let them sniff at each other under a closed door. Do not expect an instant friendship. Instead, look for them to hide frequently, hiss and possibly even become physical with each other. Over time, though, they will learn to tolerate each other and eventually form a close bond.
As you know already, it can be very rewarding to be a cat owner. Take the time to learn the best way to take care of a cat so that you can fulfill your obligation as its owner. Read on to learn all of this information. Use this information to keep your cat happy and healthy.